How to Organize Your Email

If you are like most people, your email inbox is always overflowing. Sorting through your email can be a time-consuming and frustrating task. But you can remedy this by following these ten strategies on how to organize your email.

1. Spam filters

Every email program has spam filters. It is up to you to make them work for you. Check your email settings and play around with the spam filters until you get it set to the level of privacy you desire. Less spam will mean fewer emails you have to wade through.

2. Unsubscribe

Unsubscribe to those newsletters that you no longer need. Get rid of the ones that just don’t provide useful information. There should be an unsubscribe button or link at the bottom of the email or newsletter.

3. Organize

You organize your paper files at home so why not organize your email? You can create files for your emails such as work mail, personal mail, receipts, etc. Place the appropriate emails in the appropriate files. A lot of email programs will even allow you to label emails from specific addresses according to their purpose. For example, emails coming from your work address will be labeled as work in your inbox. You can even color code your emails for higher efficiency.

4. Dedicated Email Time

Set aside a specific time each day in which you will check your email. It could be the first thing in the morning, or it may be the last thing you do in the evening. If you want to remain productive you have got to stop checking your email periodically throughout the day.

5. Short Responses

When you answer your emails, keep your replies short and to the point. This saves time for you and the person receiving your emails.

6. Spring Cleaning

Once a month or even once a week, set aside time for a little email spring cleaning. Go through all your saved emails and purge what you don’t need. You want to try to get your email inbox down to 0. This may not be possible every day, but you can significantly reduce the number of items in your inbox and your outbox.

7. Establish Alternate Email Addresses

To cut down on the email clutter, it is a good idea to set up several email addresses. You can use one for emails between family members, another for personal emails between friends and yet another address for business-related emails.

8. Learn More About Your System

Did you know that most individuals use less than 20% of the programs found on their system? Take some time to learn more about your system and what it can do. You may be missing out on some program features that could save you a lot of time.

9. Determine Your Next Action

Every time you open an email, make a decision on what your next action will be. Are you going to file it, answer it, or delete it? Make a decision and commit to it. This will reduce the amount of emails found in your email folder.

10. Don’t Forget Sent Mail

It is true email can really clog up your inbox, but you should not neglect your sent mail. Organize your sent messages in folders for each client or job. This makes it easy for you to find the email again if you should need it for reference.

Post navigation

What are people Saying?

I can’t say enough about Denise, Robin and their entire army of angels. They were professional, super efficient and a true pleasure to be around - even amidst the stress of moving. Without them, I would literally still be surrounded by boxes!

Savannah Guthrie – Co-anchor of The Today Show

What are people Saying?

Robin's organizational skills, tact, and attention to detail are invaluable. She makes things that can be torturous- moving, renovating, getting-a-washing-machine-repairman-to-come-and-being-there-when-he-does-- easy. You will finish things around your house that would otherwise never have been finished.

Tina Fey - Actress, Comedian, Writer

What are people Saying?

Moving from a very large apartment to a much smaller one, we had many more things than we had room for. Denise and her staff got us to make decisions about what to keep, store and distribute to family members. We never would have gotten it done without their help.

What are people Saying?

In Order to Succeed's process in setting up my apartment in Manhattan was courteous & extremely efficient. Denise and her team worked with tireless diligence to make sure that my home was well organized & above all, their communication with both myself and my designer was effective and clear. They made my transition to the Big Apple a fluid one and I recommend them to anyone who needs to have their move as streamlined as it possible. Not only are they good at what they do, they are also a pleasure to work with.

What are people Saying?

In Order to Succeed® was critical to my husband and I while we built and moved into a large house and transitioned from one town to another. The organized, supervised, advised and orchestrated everything flawlessly. They enabled me to maintain my sanity and focus on running a business and managing kids while they handled the rest. I recommend them highly.

Tracy Stuart, CEO at Corbin Capital Partners

What are people Saying?

Working with the In Order to Succeed® team is so much fun! I can’t believe there is a small talented group of you who actually do this as work….if YOU didn’t, Where would WE be??

Bill Karg, Owner of Contemporary African Art Gallery

What are people Saying?

IOTS helped us to create a modern, tastefully designed space that perfectly reflects our values without sacrificing our budget. They are the ideal company for any business that appreciates efficiency and aesthetics

Carol Bove Studio

What are people Saying?

At Morris Moving we pride ourselves in delivering super high quality customer service, so we are always delighted when we have the opportunity to work with In Order to Succeed.